Trustees



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, w-BKIDDER KEY ACTION POR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 567,241. *Y Patented Sept. 8, `1896.v

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VELLINGTON P. KIDDER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO WELLINGTONP. KIDDER, OF SAME PLACE, AND CHARLES R. BISHOP, OF VNEW HAVEN,CONNECTICUT, TRUSTEES.

KEY-ACTION FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,241, datedSeptember` 8, 1896. Application filed J'une 12, 1894. Renewed January31V, 1896. Serial No. 577,633. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern: Beit known that I, WELLINGTON PARKERKIDDER, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Key-Actions forType-Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa side elevation illustrating my new key-action, the parts being intheir position of rest. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the keydepressed and type at impression-point. Fig. 3 is a plan of a swingingarm forming a portion of my new action. Fig. 4 shows a modiiication.

The object of my invention is to produce-a key-action suitable forembodiment in typewriting machines which are comparatively noiseless inoperation.

In the drawings, 1 represents a key, and 2 a link connecting theend-thrust type -bar 3 y with the swinging lever 4, which is pivoted `at5 to a bracket 6, secured on frame 7.

Bracket 6 is provided with an extension 8, to which cam-roll carrier 9is pivoted at 10. Carrier 9 is provided with a cam-roll 11, moving inthecam-path 12, with which lever 4 is provided. A portion 13 of thecam-path is on a radius with the center 10, in which position the toggleis exactly on the centers. (See Fig. 2.) A link 13* connects thecamcarrier 9 with the key-lever V1, being pinned to the carrier 9 andkey-lever 1 at 14 and 15,

` respectively. A returning-spring 16 is interposed between swinginglever 4 and the frame of the machine in any suitable manner, as will beplain to all skilled in the art without more particular description.

Any suitable arrangement of platen P and type-bar guides G may beemployed, but it is of the greatest importance that portion G of theguide should be of such construction that the type-carrier is compelledto move immediately prior to actual impression straight toward theplaten, and that the typecarrier be held unwaveringly at its type endduring actual impression.

When the key-lever is depressed, swinging arm 9 pulls upon swinginglever 4 against tension spring 16 and cam-roll 11 is caused to traversecam-path 12 into the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time the toggleis on its centers, the link 2 thus pushing the endwise-moving type-barinto its printing position. The parts are returned to position 5 5 byspring 16, the heel of the type-bar striking against a soft pad 17 onits return. The marked advantages of this movement are that the toggleis brought on its centers with multiplied power as the cam-rolltraverses 6o the inclined plane of its cam-path; that the toggle isbroughtv positively to its exact centers without the concussion of anypart with a stop; that as the toggle approaches its centers the velocityis gradually diminished until the parts reach a full stopw-that is,until the type-bar reaches the impression-point, so that the type arebrought to the paper practically without any noise whatever.

My invention may be embodied in type- 7o writing machines of manydifferent constructions, but I have herein shown it in connection withan end-thrust type-bar.

In Fig. 4, showing a modification, the keylever is provided with an armc1., provided with 7 5 a cam-roll a', which works in a camway a2, formedin the swinging lever 4, which is pivoted in any suitable manner.

The invention above set forth is an improvement on that described in mypending appli- 8o cation, Serial No. 508, 614, iiled April 23, 1894. Inthat case I set forth a key-action wherein the type-head is pushed toimpression while the toggle is straightening without the use of the camherein mentioned.

1. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen; atype-carrier; a key for straightening the toggle; a toggle connectedwith the type-carrier and,while straightening, 9o pushing the type toimpression; cam mechanism connecting the toggle and key, wherebymovement of the key causes the cam mechanism to bring the togglesubstantially on its pivots, the pivots of the toggle beingsubstantially in one and the same line with each other at the instant ofimpression to print by pressure without concussion, all substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combina- :oo

tion of a platen; a type-carrier; a key for straightening the toggle; atoggle connected with the type-carrier and, While straightening, pushingthe type to impression; cam mechanism connecting the toggle and keywhereby movement of the key causes the cam mechanism to bring the togglesubstantially on its pivots; and a type-carrier guide which compels thetype-carrier to move straight against the platen immediately precedingimpression and which holds the type positively at the impression, thepivots of the toggle being substantially in one and the same line witheach other at the instant of impression to print by pressure withoutconcussion, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth,

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen; atype-carrier; a toggle for pushing the type-carrier at theimpressionpoint; and a key for straightening the toggle, with acam-operating mechanism controlled by movement of the key, the cammechanism being operative to straighten the toggle, the pivots of thetoggle being substantially in one and the same line with each other atthe instant of impression, to print by pressure without concussion,substantially as and Afor the purpose set forth.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination of atype-carrier; aplaten; a key 5 a toggle and cam mechanism, the toggle straightening onits pivots by movement of the key, through the instrumentality of thecam mechanism when impression is given, the pivots of the toggle beingsubstantially in one and the same line with each other at the instantlof impression to print by pressure without concussion, substantially asset forth.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen; a type-bar;and a key-lever,

with an intermediate toggle, one member of which pushes the type-bar,the cam operating directly on the toggle to straighten it, and beingconnected with the type-lever, the pivots of the toggle beingsubstantially in one and the same line with each other, at the instantof impression, to print by pressure without concussion, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

G. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen; a type-barguide; a type-bar;

a toggle, one member of which is pivoted to the type-bar, and a secondmember of which is pivoted to the machine, and provided with a cam-path;a cam-roll working in the campath; a swinging carrier for the cam-roll;a link connecting the cam-roll carrier with a key-lever; and akey-lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In atype-writin g machine, the combination of a platen; a type-barguide; a type-bar, and a key-lever with an intermediate toggle mechanismfor pushing the type-carrier at impression, the toggle being providedwith a cam-path; a swinging cam-roll carrier having a cam-roll workingin said path, the swinging cam-roll carrier actuated by the movement ofthe key to straighten the toggle; the cam-path being so formed that,when the pivots of the toggle are brought into substantially the sameline with each other, .the velocity oi the type-bar is graduallydiminished until the type-bar reaches the impression-point so that thetype are brought to the paper without concussion, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a platen; a type-barguide an endwisemoving type-bar; a toggle, one member of which ispivoted to the endwise-moving typebar, and the second member of which isprovided with a cam-path and pivoted in the machine; a swinging cam-rollcarrier provided with a cam-roll; a link connecting the swingingcam-roll carrier with a key; and a key; the cam-path having a partstruck on the radius of a circle from the pivotal point of the swingingcam-roll carrier, all so arranged that, when the pivots of the toggleare brought into substantially the same line with each other, bymovement of a key, the cam-roll is on that part of the cam-path which isstruck from the pivotal point of the cam-roll carrier as a center,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

VELLINGTON P. KIDDER,

Vitnesses EDWARD S. BEACH, A. L. CRAWFORD.

